tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69780724317349232032018-04-30T04:23:40.148-07:00K.B. Carpenter : BlogK.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-54699274764311531112014-03-10T12:08:00.000-07:002014-03-10T12:08:36.473-07:00Even good enough for the Greek Chorus<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A wonderful thing happened to me and it is imperative that I write this down to REMEMBER.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I have improved my technique in painting.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I actually said that&nbsp;that out loud.&nbsp; In print even.&nbsp; This is significant because my inner critic - I actually call them my "Greek Chorus" because they&nbsp;are so loud they surely must be more than one voice - improves right a long with me and never seems to be satisfied.&nbsp; </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I am never good enough according to my Greek Chorus.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Well I have evidence to the contrary that even they can't refute.&nbsp; Many months ago I finished a flower study that I was very pleased with.&nbsp; I wanted to take a risk and put in a background.&nbsp; I didn't want just a completely vague background like this:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UymBKs3wgjI/Ux4KgYLOMxI/AAAAAAAABgc/QwvR_NhAPgU/s1600/Out+on+a+Limb+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UymBKs3wgjI/Ux4KgYLOMxI/AAAAAAAABgc/QwvR_NhAPgU/s1600/Out+on+a+Limb+1.jpg" height="400" width="347" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out On A Limb</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;I wanted a feeling of intermediary depth. This technique had always eluded me.&nbsp; I can paint objects close up and I can create a feeling of far distance, but creating a feeling of in-between was always a failure.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I tried it on this new piece and was really disappointed with the results, so I pinned&nbsp;the painting&nbsp;to my bulletin board.&nbsp; This is where pieces go to die when I'm pleased with them in some way but they are not worthy of finding a real home. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">After&nbsp;completing the painting that I&nbsp;shared with you&nbsp;in the previous post, I realized I had learned quite a lot about creating that feeling of intermediary depth.&nbsp; I unpinned the old painting, worked on it, and I loved the results.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZM53woCPADY/Ux4Ky8doCMI/AAAAAAAABgk/1miLnaaJf3A/s1600/roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZM53woCPADY/Ux4Ky8doCMI/AAAAAAAABgk/1miLnaaJf3A/s1600/roses.jpg" height="640" width="440" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Even the Greek Chorus&nbsp;is satisfied.&nbsp; At least for today.</span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-21339697659195529992014-03-03T15:04:00.001-08:002014-03-03T15:04:35.650-08:00You're Outta Here!!!!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been in serious learning mode lately, so I haven't blogged at all, as I'm sure you've noticed.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought I would send some color into the universe on a snowy, drippy (the big melt is on) day.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just remember: it's March.&nbsp; Even if it snows or gets very cold, you can shake your fist, laugh in its face, and shout to winter "You are defeated.&nbsp; You may not know it, but you're outta here." HA!!&nbsp; Take that, Winter.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I7QOV-2DCUU/UxUJPCuFpLI/AAAAAAAABgM/5xPFIXS6Ngs/s1600/white+rose+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I7QOV-2DCUU/UxUJPCuFpLI/AAAAAAAABgM/5xPFIXS6Ngs/s1600/white+rose+final.jpg" height="350" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Bring on Spring.</span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-61107875975841268822013-07-02T15:09:00.001-07:002013-07-02T15:09:02.056-07:00Loss<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The baby hawks are gone and I am ridiculously devastated. I know they're only birds.&nbsp; I know they are wild creatures; their survival&nbsp;had always&nbsp;been far from certain.&nbsp; Nonetheless I feel loss.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CFD_p3WS52I/UdNG8IS3ufI/AAAAAAAABfc/x-uFPyuoXdg/s1600/hawk4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CFD_p3WS52I/UdNG8IS3ufI/AAAAAAAABfc/x-uFPyuoXdg/s320/hawk4.jpg" width="231" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I had anticipated another summer of watching a new&nbsp;generation of hawks growing up.&nbsp;<span style="color: red;">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/07/all-hands-talons-on-deck.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Two</span></a> years ago&nbsp;the nest was right in our yard.&nbsp;I watched the adults painstakingly build the nest during the spring and then in the summer I watched the juveniles learn to be hawks.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">First they did what I called "walk abouts".&nbsp; Actually it was more like "hop abouts".&nbsp; They would hop from one branch near the nest&nbsp;to nearby branches.&nbsp; Soon they were taking first flights, clumsily knocking each other off their perches.&nbsp; I was amazed that hawks, who were born to fly, were so abysmally bad at it at first.&nbsp; It was encouraging to me, teaching that just because you aren't great at something right off doesn't mean you weren't born to do it.&nbsp; Our society often has no patience for failure or mediocrity,&nbsp;offering little grace in the way of forbearance of judgment about our&nbsp;worthiness to pursue a passion unless we quickly exhibit brilliance to casual observers.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The four "band of brothers" stuck together that summer, perfecting the art of flight...and killing.&nbsp; I tried not to think too much about their meals, the songbirds and chipmunks that were probably on the menu.&nbsp;My hawks&nbsp;were simply magnificent and I was blessed to have a front row seat.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This spring the adults were back and they chose a different tree&nbsp;to build their nest.&nbsp; At first I was disappointed.&nbsp;&nbsp;The tree&nbsp;was technically not in our yard.&nbsp;Soon I realized that this tree offered a great advantage: better viewing.&nbsp; I could stand on our deck and look into the nest with binoculars, something the proximity of&nbsp;the&nbsp;previous nest didn't allow.&nbsp; Soon I could see the babies. I couldn't wait to&nbsp;again experience&nbsp;the&nbsp;gift of watching&nbsp;them learn to become hawks.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">A few nights ago at dusk,&nbsp;a raven and one of the adult hawks flew by,&nbsp;fighting.&nbsp; I could tell the hawk was attacking the raven and I was worried for the fledglings, but I thought they would be fine.&nbsp; They were getting so big and they had their parents to protect them.&nbsp; That night, I was in bed reading when I heard the babies cry.&nbsp; That's the&nbsp;odd thing.&nbsp; I had never heard them vocalize&nbsp;that I was aware of.&nbsp; I'd heard the adults and knew their calls&nbsp;and once the juveniles hunted, they would vocalize in a similar way.&nbsp; I hadn't heard the babies yet.&nbsp; But that night I did; I knew they were in trouble.&nbsp; I don't know how I knew.&nbsp;It was dark. I couldn't see what was happening.&nbsp; Even if I could see, there was nothing I could do.&nbsp; Like Jimmy Stewart in <em>Rear Window</em>, I was across the way bound to my space, unable to help.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I hoped I was wrong, that it was just my imagination.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The next day I didn't hear the adults' morning calls, but sometimes that&nbsp;happened, I told myself.&nbsp;&nbsp;I couldn't see in the nest.&nbsp; Sometimes that also happened; the branches often moved and obscured my vision.&nbsp;I kept telling myself the babies were&nbsp;surely in the nest, safe and sound. In the afternoon I tried again and had a clear view.&nbsp; The nest was empty.&nbsp;Empty. No more babies&nbsp;"fluffing" their wings.&nbsp;Empty.&nbsp; I kept hoping I was looking in the wrong place but I knew I wasn't.&nbsp; They were gone.&nbsp;A new reality imposed by one day on the previous one.&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Loss is like that, any loss, big or small.&nbsp; The new reality&nbsp;fights with the reality that still exists in your mind and for that moment, during that second you are lost, until you orient yourself and resurface.&nbsp;The greater the loss, the more times you experience that wrenching disorientation. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">For years after my grandmother died I would catch myself thinking about sharing something with her, the reality of her absence at odds with my experience of her being present.&nbsp; I'd have to give my brain a chance to align the "what was" with the "what is".&nbsp; I experienced the same reality shift of loss when I miscarried our second child.&nbsp; It was so unreal to be pregnant, full of joy, anticipation, and dreams one day, and not be pregnant the next.&nbsp; My brain was constantly misfiring, confusing the present reality with the old one and each time&nbsp;that misfire happened I would experience the loss again.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">We all experience loss; it is the very nature of having loved.&nbsp;Just as love is the reason we feel loss, love is also the salve for the wound.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OpqFc9KAnw0/UdNE98RAWNI/AAAAAAAABfE/DHtx4MvvqPg/s320/hawkdrawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OpqFc9KAnw0/UdNE98RAWNI/AAAAAAAABfE/DHtx4MvvqPg/s320/hawkdrawing.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I heard the adult hawks the next morning.&nbsp; I sat on the deck and watched them fly to and from the earlier tree with nest building materials in their beaks.&nbsp; For some reason I felt tears on my cheeks; I don't know why.&nbsp; For the loss? The disappointment?&nbsp;&nbsp;The hope? I don't know.&nbsp; I was happy to see them.&nbsp; I can't imagine that they have time to start again but their actions still brought me a kind of joy.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-11528562692008239482013-06-10T14:32:00.000-07:002013-06-10T14:32:57.875-07:00Taking risks<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How comfortable are you with risk taking?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For me, it's time to take some risks - little risks and major risks.&nbsp;&nbsp;It seems like there are&nbsp;seasons for risk taking, times to play it safe and times to say a prayer,&nbsp;batten down the hatches and hold on for dear life.&nbsp; I tend to like the former rather than the latter, but I'm going to try to embrace the thrill of the risk.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What are the risks, you ask?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Here's a small one.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JKwhvLXrcnY/UbZB6jkntXI/AAAAAAAABew/wd6ASNoUVGw/s1600/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JKwhvLXrcnY/UbZB6jkntXI/AAAAAAAABew/wd6ASNoUVGw/s640/flowers.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is a study that I think turned out to be quite lovely&nbsp;and I am pleased with it.&nbsp;The risk involves painting a dark background which is what I plan to do next.&nbsp;I've spent many hours on this painting and just like that, a dark wash can very likely ruin it.&nbsp;&nbsp;(Ah, for a computer paint program where you can just press "undo".)&nbsp; Often I won't&nbsp;take the risk, but this time I will.&nbsp; I'll let you know how it goes.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The big risk?&nbsp; We're selling our house, most likely moving from the area where we have spent the last wonderful 20 years, and we're not even sure where we're going!&nbsp; The reason I've been absent with blog postings is that my main job the last few months has been to get the house ready to sell.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Well, today it lists.&nbsp; We're ready to close the door on a large chapter of our life and begin a new one.&nbsp; </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I just wish I could skip to the end of the book and find out how it all works out.&nbsp; (I do that, you know, because I just can't stand it.)&nbsp; I have faith that it will all work out and now matter where we end up we will be moving forward which is what I know we must do.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'll keep you posted about how that all works out too.</span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-13079721053829392952013-04-04T14:14:00.001-07:002013-04-04T14:14:32.572-07:00A little patience, please!!!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The teacher has been a student in the studio lately.&nbsp; Honestly, it is hard to know what and how much I have learned because learning is such a nebulous thing.&nbsp;Sometimes it's only in retrospect that you can fully appreciate the scope of the learning.&nbsp;&nbsp;One thing I do know that I've learned:&nbsp; I am an impatient artist. I never fully realized how much my&nbsp;impatience impacts my work</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I have been learning from two artists.&nbsp; Using a video from Susan Harrison-Tustain, I painted this piece:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eSGzlSMjt4o/UV3puGtuhmI/AAAAAAAABeE/WE57KS-pEes/s1600/teacup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eSGzlSMjt4o/UV3puGtuhmI/AAAAAAAABeE/WE57KS-pEes/s400/teacup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I was particularly interested in learning from&nbsp;Susan because of her ability to create atmosphere in her paintings.&nbsp; Originally trained as an oil artist, she is unusual in that she paints on smooth hot pressed paper, using layers and layers of glazes to achieve rich results.&nbsp;Through this process I discovered&nbsp;the true level of&nbsp;my impatience&nbsp;and how it is&nbsp;a major stumbling block&nbsp;in my work.&nbsp;Probably because of insecurity, I am uncomfortable when the work doesn't look right.&nbsp; There is a level of anxiety and a desire to make it right, RIGHT NOW!!!&nbsp; Through the process of glazing, I discovered that tempering that impulse will go a long way to improving my work.&nbsp; You learn to become comfortable with the fact that the painting does not look finished for quite a while and THIS IS OK.&nbsp; I am very pleased with this piece.&nbsp; I chose this video lesson&nbsp;because of the challenging textures presented in the subject matter - the soft rose, shiny porcelain, and reflective wood.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lian Quan Zhen is the polar opposite from Susan Harrison-Tustain.&nbsp; Trained in the minimalist Chinese style of watercolor, Lian has developed a style of painting that begins with pouring, splattering, and blowing just three pigments of color all around the page.&nbsp; He then masterfully brings order out of chaos.&nbsp; I was drawn to Lian's work because of his skill with negative painting.&nbsp; Here is one of three pieces I completed based on his teaching:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VQAPLN6ygZc/UV3qUL2nhYI/AAAAAAAABeM/iEWWHMTm57c/s1600/Lake+Tahoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VQAPLN6ygZc/UV3qUL2nhYI/AAAAAAAABeM/iEWWHMTm57c/s640/Lake+Tahoe.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This entire painting just used three colors: Antwerp Blue, Hansa Yellow, and Pyrrol Red.&nbsp; Lian isn't concerned about colors matching the subject in the photographic reference.&nbsp; It is his skillful use of negative painting that really makes his work sing and is the meat of the learning I carried away from his workshop.&nbsp; Negative painting is painting around the subject rather than painting the subject directly.&nbsp; It is much harder than it seems.&nbsp; The piece I shared above doesn't have a lot of negative painting in it, but here is a close up of one area where I used it:</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqAepDc8mAQ/UV3qpPL9t3I/AAAAAAAABeU/FoFPK2QTyzc/s1600/negative+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqAepDc8mAQ/UV3qpPL9t3I/AAAAAAAABeU/FoFPK2QTyzc/s320/negative+tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Negative painting creates an illusion of depth that is powerful. The only way to become excellent at negative painting is to practice it.&nbsp; It doesn't&nbsp;come easily or naturally, but I am determined to become more skilled.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">As different as these two artists are,&nbsp;I am thinking that they are actually two sides of the same coin.&nbsp; I noticed during Lian's workshop that all of the other students suffered from the same lack of patience that I do, resulting in them&nbsp;making missteps -&nbsp;particularly the mistake of adding too much pigment at the wrong time&nbsp;to make it look right, NOW.&nbsp; Watercolor has an elusive nature that demands a real understanding of the properties of paper, pigment, and water to truly master.&nbsp;&nbsp;I have to relax into the medium, trust my understanding of it, and learn to be patient.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Oh, and practice, practice, practice.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-51008464245079462912013-02-26T15:42:00.000-08:002013-02-27T06:47:01.263-08:00All in good time<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My first&nbsp;attempt to merge the "Wild Style" with a little bit of planning:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KXO45HffZ04/US1HB0wjCBI/AAAAAAAABdw/o4tOmo_vxXM/s1600/wakeboarder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KXO45HffZ04/US1HB0wjCBI/AAAAAAAABdw/o4tOmo_vxXM/s640/wakeboarder.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's a story behind this painting...of course there is!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Many years ago my niece graduated from high school.&nbsp; For a gift, I created a pastel drawing of her and her brother when they were very little.&nbsp; </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Two years later, her brother graduated.&nbsp; I wanted to do something similar for my nephew and I even had the photo references.&nbsp; My daughter had gone out on the boat with my brother and his family and she had taken wonderful photos of my nephew wake boarding.&nbsp; I wanted to use those photos to create a work of art.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">But there was the problem...I didn't know what form the piece would take or how to do it.&nbsp; So the photos have waited.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I was playing around with the "wild style" of painting, I decided that the first attempt at harnessing the wildness in a controlled piece should be this painting of my nephew.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So, 10 years or so later, the time for this piece was finally right.</span>﻿</div>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-48586408327253444412013-01-26T18:34:00.000-08:002013-01-26T18:34:55.641-08:00Chairway to Heaven<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My apologies to Led Zeppelin.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I had a couple of revelations this week in the studio as I was working on focus studies using the same subject I've been playing with for a while.&nbsp; I used values and color temperature (and color intensity) to create focus.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V9wSr8ymhfA/UQSQG46lPNI/AAAAAAAABdM/FC1VIkjJGVE/s1600/focus+using+values.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" oea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V9wSr8ymhfA/UQSQG46lPNI/AAAAAAAABdM/FC1VIkjJGVE/s400/focus+using+values.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I saw the result, I burst out laughing - I had created the chairway to heaven.&nbsp; Surely if you just sit down in one of these seemingly everyday metal chairs, the glow of heavenly inspiration will be upon you, or maybe you just instantly transport directly from the chair to the heavenly realms.&nbsp; Perhaps you must rise and walk through the heavenly portal I also created as the second focus alternative. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--8HxykfB-IQ/UQSQdJSUPpI/AAAAAAAABdc/oK674XNR07E/s1600/focus+using+temperature.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" oea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--8HxykfB-IQ/UQSQdJSUPpI/AAAAAAAABdc/oK674XNR07E/s400/focus+using+temperature.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Seriously, I have learned quite a bit from these studies.&nbsp; The focus studies are obviously exaggerated in their style, but I can apply these basic principles to improve my work.&nbsp; </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I shared a gradation study last week using these same metal chairs and a couple of personal communications I received about that piece shocked me.&nbsp; I looked at it as a throw away exercise, but each person indicated that they would not only frame it, but would love to&nbsp;own it.&nbsp; I had never even considered that. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It was a revelation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">And I didn't even need to sit in the chairs to receive it.</span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-46546149263738389952013-01-18T15:46:00.000-08:002013-01-18T15:46:29.864-08:00All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close up!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--JE0TVMqLxg/UPnaVfR3uOI/AAAAAAAABcQ/3XA1vlXYJlA/s1600/gradation2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--JE0TVMqLxg/UPnaVfR3uOI/AAAAAAAABcQ/3XA1vlXYJlA/s400/gradation2.jpg" width="305" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Isn't it funny how some things stick with you?&nbsp; For those of you who don't know, this line comes from Sunset Boulevard, an old black and white classic film.&nbsp; Interestingly, I've never watched the whole movie, but I love that line.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week in the studio I've been working on gradation using a close up detailed area of a value study I worked on last week.&nbsp; If I ever actually paint this piece, I want to have problem solved all of the important areas, and moving my viewer's eye using gradation will be very important to the success of this painting.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also thought I would share some finished student work from the classes I'm teaching to give you a close up introduction to a couple of artist/authors.&nbsp; My goal for students is to learn the fundamentals of three dimensional drawing all the while experiencing different materials.&nbsp; This first project featured watercolor and pen and ink and utilized the marvelous drawings of M</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ark Kistler.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KhK4TIHVenA/UPnazFiGP-I/AAAAAAAABcg/rtiyqJeOGZ0/s1600/project1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KhK4TIHVenA/UPnazFiGP-I/AAAAAAAABcg/rtiyqJeOGZ0/s320/project1.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2dif-4DKOTw/UPnbKXSUGhI/AAAAAAAABcw/PKjZPBmenso/s1600/project2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2dif-4DKOTw/UPnbKXSUGhI/AAAAAAAABcw/PKjZPBmenso/s320/project2.jpg" width="263" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mark Kistler has been teaching children to draw for many years and used to host a television show called Imagination Station.&nbsp; While I don't think his show is on anymore, his books live on and continue to inspire. His drawings are appealing to children, yet lay a strong foundation for three dimensional drawing.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other artist/author I am using this year to teach the grid method of drawing using photographs, is Lee Hammond, who has several wonderful books available.&nbsp; Children love animals and these books break down the steps of creating an accurate line drawing and then using shading to render beautiful drawings.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SClWH8RanDw/UPnZ9rsTpNI/AAAAAAAABcA/6n8VI1q29IM/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SClWH8RanDw/UPnZ9rsTpNI/AAAAAAAABcA/6n8VI1q29IM/s320/books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Both artist/authors have graciously given teachers permission to photocopy pages of their books for classroom use. &nbsp;Mark Kistler gives permission in his books; I emailed Ms. Hammond to ask permission and received a lovely affirmative response. &nbsp;I love that I can share these books with children and direct them to their local library and book store to discover that books serve so many purposes, that they not only transport us to wonderful worlds through stories and our imagination, but also allow us to discover and develop new skills.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All right, Mr. DeMille, fade to black.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-88583561364817738002013-01-11T11:52:00.000-08:002013-01-11T11:52:29.418-08:00Are we having fun yet?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The answer is YES!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">&nbsp;I've been designing possible paintings:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">&nbsp; </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-58sVGXMAuyk/UPBppC4Z54I/AAAAAAAABa8/hfU58x4VV9Q/s1600/thumbnail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-58sVGXMAuyk/UPBppC4Z54I/AAAAAAAABa8/hfU58x4VV9Q/s320/thumbnail2.jpg" width="206" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9QIKxRbjpwU/UPBp-Wf-jjI/AAAAAAAABbM/kY2UH-bQ_4A/s1600/Brian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9QIKxRbjpwU/UPBp-Wf-jjI/AAAAAAAABbM/kY2UH-bQ_4A/s320/Brian.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JM2cwUWioKw/UPBqyriGrQI/AAAAAAAABbU/tAYKqwoB7G4/s1600/third+value+wash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JM2cwUWioKw/UPBqyriGrQI/AAAAAAAABbU/tAYKqwoB7G4/s320/third+value+wash.jpg" width="217" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">doing value studies:</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">teaching 3 classes of delightful 4th and 5th graders fun art projects:</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aOPLVrdMFyA/UPBr6zJhzoI/AAAAAAAABbs/9ZJqdK5npU0/s1600/polar+bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aOPLVrdMFyA/UPBr6zJhzoI/AAAAAAAABbs/9ZJqdK5npU0/s200/polar+bear.jpg" width="174" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ujJWvM5w75M/UPBrUlcQN2I/AAAAAAAABbc/fkML2BT6R3g/s1600/flamingo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ujJWvM5w75M/UPBrUlcQN2I/AAAAAAAABbc/fkML2BT6R3g/s200/flamingo.jpg" width="177" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and beginning a new hobby - carving stamps:</span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rav236m0Buc/UPBpZb33kgI/AAAAAAAABas/v3m1LseTpss/s1600/bird+with+caption.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rav236m0Buc/UPBpZb33kgI/AAAAAAAABas/v3m1LseTpss/s320/bird+with+caption.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0dM4kEsYL30/UPBpgVHkpNI/AAAAAAAABa0/x4r4_bTR1yU/s1600/sprecka+with+caption.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0dM4kEsYL30/UPBpgVHkpNI/AAAAAAAABa0/x4r4_bTR1yU/s320/sprecka+with+caption.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope your week has been as happy and full. &nbsp; </span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-62993253298279221372013-01-04T15:36:00.000-08:002013-01-04T15:36:54.269-08:00Confluence<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Confluence</i> - the coming together of separate things to become...ah, the possibilities are endless, but one this is certain, the result will never be the same.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love the juxtaposition of this post with the last - two distinct styles of painting which represent where I am artistically.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am standing at the confluence - how exciting!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This painting is a result of several photos taken at the American River in California.&nbsp; The three figures represent choices we all deal with - there are times when we are on a mission, head down, moving forward.&nbsp; There are times when we have stopped to just enjoy the now.&nbsp; And there is often tension between the two.</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBVdFgPJ1Lw/UOdmZaDJMvI/AAAAAAAABaI/JiBqXYMuNM0/s1600/confluence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBVdFgPJ1Lw/UOdmZaDJMvI/AAAAAAAABaI/JiBqXYMuNM0/s640/confluence.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Confluence</i> - Watercolor</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy it. </span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-47602477670207798502012-12-06T10:30:00.001-08:002012-12-06T10:30:26.717-08:00What can I say?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More from the wild side:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OkLopeRyL5U/UMDjHAG19rI/AAAAAAAABZ0/l9GoNoLyE7o/s1600/wild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OkLopeRyL5U/UMDjHAG19rI/AAAAAAAABZ0/l9GoNoLyE7o/s640/wild.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I don't know what to say.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I love these.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U2PqVNRM0Lk/UMDiVbkOojI/AAAAAAAABZc/6_Yt0vAaSlE/s1600/winter+cabin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U2PqVNRM0Lk/UMDiVbkOojI/AAAAAAAABZc/6_Yt0vAaSlE/s640/winter+cabin.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What do I love about them?&nbsp; I love the energy, the raw impact.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Again, they were painted on illustration board, starting with squirt bottles filled with paint, another one filled with water, and a card dipped into paint.&nbsp; Later I used a sponge to lift paint here and there.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm not sure what to do with this, though. How do I translate&nbsp;what I like about these&nbsp;to a more thought out painting?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'll let you know when I find out.</span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-48950508461305805252012-11-21T14:23:00.000-08:002012-11-21T14:23:43.358-08:00Wild thing<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been a wild thing in the studio lately.&nbsp; I've been experimenting with techniques and different materials and it's been fantastic.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's an example - basically almost no brushwork involved - just squirting paint on wet illustration board and watching as the paint and the water play.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">After it dries I look at it right side up, upside down, sideways until I think I know what the painting wants to be, then I try to help it to be that.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yhvg1vPV7IU/UK1SaM2y5xI/AAAAAAAABZM/NFUPaI5S8ng/s1600/sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yhvg1vPV7IU/UK1SaM2y5xI/AAAAAAAABZM/NFUPaI5S8ng/s640/sea.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I used a hotel card key to scoop up paint and slather it on, a Mr. Clean sponge to lift paint, and did a little scraping with an x-acto blade.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Crazy fun - it appeals to my wild side.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yes, I do have one.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">&nbsp;</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">﻿</div>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-78019077049147343422012-10-29T07:07:00.000-07:002012-10-29T07:07:51.510-07:00Living dangerously<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know that it is good to stretch yourself</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">to live on the edge</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">pushing yourself past your comfort zone.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've been doing that in the studio lately,</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">but I have been playing it safe</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">compared to my visitors.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QWBsmen9nFQ/UI6M80wG5II/AAAAAAAABYg/bS0gNeGQXlU/s1600/turkeys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QWBsmen9nFQ/UI6M80wG5II/AAAAAAAABYg/bS0gNeGQXlU/s320/turkeys.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;">They came strolling by&nbsp;last week&nbsp;- </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">nonchalantly meandering, </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">not a care in the world.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I could only ask myself one question:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Don't they know&nbsp;which holiday is just around the corner?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VAc3MBoxBjM/UI6NONeSW3I/AAAAAAAABYo/z_y2akfjhb4/s1600/turkeys2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VAc3MBoxBjM/UI6NONeSW3I/AAAAAAAABYo/z_y2akfjhb4/s320/turkeys2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-51703702548343577182012-10-19T07:49:00.000-07:002012-10-19T07:49:51.452-07:00Capturing the beauty of the trail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uau98we5rCE/UIFiu7scUmI/AAAAAAAABYA/uvabT1XpUiA/s1600/centennial+trail+cards+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uau98we5rCE/UIFiu7scUmI/AAAAAAAABYA/uvabT1XpUiA/s400/centennial+trail+cards+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I decided to invest in the cost of&nbsp;turning six of my paintings from the <em>Centennial Trail</em> series into blank note cards.&nbsp; When they arrived, I was thrilled.&nbsp; They really turned out beautifully.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">My two favorite paintings, <em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/10/how-about-story.html" target="_blank">Generations</a>:</em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ieoZpuGlZRY/UIFjiup5URI/AAAAAAAABYI/OwnfycxEnWw/s1600/Watercolor_Painting_Centennial_Trail_Generations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ieoZpuGlZRY/UIFjiup5URI/AAAAAAAABYI/OwnfycxEnWw/s320/Watercolor_Painting_Centennial_Trail_Generations.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Generations</em><br /><em>Watercolor&nbsp; 10x14</em></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">and <em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/12/reinventing-wheel.html" target="_blank">Reinventing the Wheel</a>:</em></span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NFXqfESbjd8/UIFj2dtYXTI/AAAAAAAABYQ/rrnJ6o6dJBs/s1600/Watercolor_Reinventing_The_Wheel_Centennial_Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NFXqfESbjd8/UIFj2dtYXTI/AAAAAAAABYQ/rrnJ6o6dJBs/s320/Watercolor_Reinventing_The_Wheel_Centennial_Trail.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Reinventing the Wheel</em><br /><em>Watercolor 13 1/2 x 19 1/2</em></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">are not available as prints, so&nbsp;this is&nbsp;the only way to own them.&nbsp; They even have stories attached to them (you can click on the link in the title&nbsp;of the paintings to read them).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">These cards would make lovely gifts to friends who appreciate the beauty of Spokane, or for&nbsp;anyone who&nbsp;feels drawn by&nbsp;the allure of&nbsp;a trail.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Contact me, or visit <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/KBCarpenterArt?ref=pr_shop" target="_blank">my shop</a> if you would like to purchase them.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I appreciate your ongoing encouragement and support. Thank you!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-33236526715791912862012-09-18T12:40:00.000-07:002012-09-18T12:40:07.091-07:00Home of the Great Cosmic Goldfish<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My new studio is DONE and The Great Cosmic Goldfish is in charge!!&nbsp; He actually supervised the old studio, but from more of an observer status.&nbsp; Now he's fully in charge.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bFSQlFNBPmE/UFjCx__gRGI/AAAAAAAABWc/rXeAFnFIx4E/s1600/cosmic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bFSQlFNBPmE/UFjCx__gRGI/AAAAAAAABWc/rXeAFnFIx4E/s320/cosmic.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In case you're wondering if I've completely lost it, The Great Cosmic Goldfish (from now on referred to as the GCG whenever possible), is an incredibly beautiful print by </span><a href="http://www.mowensolinskygallery.com/davidwooten/gallery.html"><span style="background-color: #274e13; color: #93c47d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">David Wooten</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.&nbsp;Wooten is an amazing artist -&nbsp;oh&nbsp;to be a fly on the wall&nbsp;of his studio.&nbsp; My dearest girlfriend bought a print for me.&nbsp; The painting is actually called "Ideal Fishin", or something mundane like that.&nbsp; While I fully respect the author's right to name his own paintings, my print named itself from the beginning.&nbsp; He is not just the cosmic goldfish, he is the GREAT Cosmic Goldfish.&nbsp; I don't know why, but he is.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zj2ehyXCQqk/UFjHTSv4bNI/AAAAAAAABXk/6rDJdb5kf5o/s1600/studio4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zj2ehyXCQqk/UFjHTSv4bNI/AAAAAAAABXk/6rDJdb5kf5o/s320/studio4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That said, all color choices and&nbsp;furniture design of my new studio have had to defer to the GCG.&nbsp; My new paper/mat board cabinet became gold, the old filing cabinet became green, and the huge bulletin boards that I created are lovely green/gold/blue brocade colors with gold&nbsp;braiding - all to be in harmony with the GCG.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The new studio marks a significant change in the way I view my art and my business. I love the larger space, the wonderful light, and the fact that I can walk out the studio door to spend time watching the forest.&nbsp; I have taken great care&nbsp;with the flow of the entire space because for some reason that matters to me.&nbsp; Now, when I walk into the studio, I am filled with joy and the sense of rightness.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I especially love my huge bulletin boards. It is important to me to have places to stick things so that they are still visible.&nbsp;They might be works in process, letters of encouragement, visual ideas, remembrances, anything that I want to keep in my visual awareness.&nbsp; Since my new studio had a lot more wall space, I decided to take advantage of it.&nbsp; Some of you may already know how to&nbsp;create these bulletin boards&nbsp;(I always seem to be a bit behind on the latest things), but for those of you who don't, I will share my process.&nbsp; </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oxw8MRACEG8/UFjEyewyz_I/AAAAAAAABXU/2sVkl7xkKbQ/s1600/tacking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oxw8MRACEG8/UFjEyewyz_I/AAAAAAAABXU/2sVkl7xkKbQ/s200/tacking.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">First, find a soundproofing material called Homasote.&nbsp;&nbsp;It comes in 4' x 8' sheets and my wonderful local supplier even cut it for me at no additional charge.&nbsp;&nbsp;Cost:&nbsp; $25. You can cut it into any sizes you want, but I chose 2 3'x2' sections and 2 5'x2' sections.&nbsp; Then I went to my local fabric store and chose two fabrics that I thought would work together (and look beautiful with the GCG).&nbsp; I found drapery fabric and gold braiding all on super sale, and the&nbsp;incredibly helpful&nbsp;saleslady even helped me figure out exactly how much yardage I needed.&nbsp; Cost: $25.&nbsp;</span><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LWyogwbDGmA/UFjEkDQ9MKI/AAAAAAAABXM/UCwmu-pAyWU/s1600/panel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LWyogwbDGmA/UFjEkDQ9MKI/AAAAAAAABXM/UCwmu-pAyWU/s200/panel.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">To assemble, I cut the fabric and stapled it to the Homasote.&nbsp;I stapled the braiding to the back, wrapped it around in front&nbsp; and tacked it in different places with decorative drapery tacks. It was incredibly simple and the result is even better than I'd hoped. I have an additional small green bulletin board over my office area.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2gzdasU0Nk8/UFjG9AAGZnI/AAAAAAAABXc/WoLIMg4gHDs/s1600/studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2gzdasU0Nk8/UFjG9AAGZnI/AAAAAAAABXc/WoLIMg4gHDs/s400/studio.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm looking forward to sharing the wonderful things that will be coming out of this new studio.</span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-12389011593554724552012-08-02T10:28:00.000-07:002012-08-02T10:29:54.511-07:00No one likes having their skin ripped off!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where have you been?!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh.&nbsp; That's right.&nbsp; I'm the one who has been conspicuously absent.&nbsp; All I can really say by way of explanation is that life happens.&nbsp; For the last 6-8 months I have been battling health issues.&nbsp; Blessedly, I finally seem to have come out the other side and&nbsp;am on the way to feeling more like myself.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The funny thing is, the days, weeks, months where I literally couldn't do anything turned out to be one of the biggest gifts that I have ever received.&nbsp; God certainly got my attention and together we got to know each other better.&nbsp; Well, it's more like I got to know myself and Him better - He pretty much already knows EVERYTHING.&nbsp; I am humbled that He would care so much for me that He would go to all that trouble to have my undivided attention.&nbsp; Through the whole process I felt a bit like Eustace.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you have ever read C.S. Lewis' "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", you will remember the adventure of Eustace and the dragon.&nbsp; Eustace is pretty much a self-centered twit.&nbsp; Apparently we have&nbsp;that in common.&nbsp;Eustace discovers a dragon horde, puts on a shiny bracelet, and falls asleep, waking up as a dragon.&nbsp; At first he revels in his draconic abilities, but soon realizes that his transformation has come with a price.&nbsp; His fellow adventurers no longer recognize and even fear him.&nbsp; He&nbsp;is alone and he realizes that it was not they who&nbsp;needed to change but him.&nbsp; He wishes he could join them again.&nbsp; Soon Aslan, the powerful lion comes and tells him to tear off his outer dragon skin.&nbsp; Eustace painfully rips it off, thinking he is done.&nbsp; Nope, says Aslan.&nbsp; Sure enough, the dragon skin is still there.&nbsp; Eustace tries again, peeling off an even thicker layer, the pain even greater than before.&nbsp;Still not enough, Aslan says.&nbsp; Finally, Aslan himself rips off an unbelievably thick layer.&nbsp; Eustace is in agony, but then is light and free - himself again, but better.&nbsp; He rejoins his companions and is a different person.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I feel that I too am a different person - the same, yet better for having endured this process of ripping off the false skin.&nbsp; And, like Eustace, I couldn't do it by myself - I needed that higher power.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm not sure what this will mean to my art.&nbsp; It can't help but have an effect and this may take some time, but I have learned to be patient.&nbsp; I have missed communicating with you, however.&nbsp; So in the meantime, I thought I might share some of your and my favorite blogs from the past, while we are waiting for new ones.&nbsp; If I have not included a blog that you loved, please let me know.&nbsp; I'd love to hear from you.&nbsp; Also, if you would like to comment on a past blog, please do so on this most recent blog.&nbsp; Google does not let me know when someone has commented on a past blog and since I don't go back to them all and check, I would never see it if you posted it there.&nbsp; That would be a shame!&nbsp; I love to read what you have to say.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I look forward to hearing from you and sharing new work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Favorite posts:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2010/07/call-me-beowulf.html">Call Me Beowulf</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2010/09/wump-and-other-mean-flowers.html">K.B. Carpenter and Other Mean Flowers</a></em></span><br /><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2010/12/defining-my-values.html">Defining My Values</a></span></em><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2010/12/reflecting-on-water.html">Reflecting on Water</a></em></span><br /><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2010/11/having-faith.html">Having Faith</a></span></em><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2010/11/implications-of-dormancy.html">The Implications of Dormancy</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2010/11/fast-and-loose.html">Fast and Loose</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2010/10/dressing-for-success.html">Dressing for Success</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2010/10/raindrops-on-roses.html">Raindrops on Roses</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/02/step-by-step.html">Step by Step</a></em></span><br /><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/02/coming-home.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Coming Home</span></a></em><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/05/running-hot-and-cold.html">Running Hot and Cold</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/04/my-kingdom-for-crumpet.html">My Kingdom for a Crumpet</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/04/on-being-prime-number.html">On Being a Prime Number</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/03/dueling-dragons-news-from-front.html">Dueling Dragons - News From the Front</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/07/band-of-brothers.html">Band of Brothers</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/06/channeling-norman-bates.html">Channeling Norman Bates</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/06/add-killer-bunnies-to-list.html">Add Killer Bunnies to the List</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/06/dragon-evolution.html">Dragon Evolution</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/05/stop-and-smell-rossnakes.html">Stop and Smell the Ros...SNAKES!!</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/05/case-of-missing-dragon.html">The Case of the Missing Dragon</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/10/how-about-story.html">How About a Story?</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/08/you-say-goodbye-i-say-hello.html">You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/08/time-is-on-my-side.html">Time Is On My Side</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/12/reinventing-wheel.html">Reinventing the Wheel</a></em></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/12/fold-or-all-in.html">Fold Or All In?</a></em></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-68032274057769246532012-01-27T14:53:00.000-08:002012-01-27T15:28:47.236-08:00War in the skies<div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">When I was a little girl, on cloudy days I would imagine that there was a war going on in the skies.<br /> <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sun vs. Clouds<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">When the sun would come out from behind the clouds I would cheer and imagine the armies of the sun pushing back the armies of the clouds. When the clouds prevailed, I cheered for the sun's warriors to push back against the enemy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Today, Sprecka and I sat on the front porch and basked in the winter sun. Every once in a while the sun would go behind a cloud and we would boo the cloud and cheer for the sun. Some things have not changed.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WJqa-1zxs64/TyMwy0EcMcI/AAAAAAAABVs/njiGFuWs-3s/s1600/front%2Byard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702455202710041026" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WJqa-1zxs64/TyMwy0EcMcI/AAAAAAAABVs/njiGFuWs-3s/s320/front%2Byard.jpg" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fading from winter and spying the full sun, I grabbed a coat, gloves, and a couple of blankets. One for me and one for Sprecka. We sat there, drinking in the sun, eyes closed (at least mine were - Sprecka remained on guard duty, as always). I could feel the warmth on my face, and hear the wind in the pine trees, sounding like an ocean. The melting snow from the roof trickled down the drainpipe sounding like a fountain. The wind chimes added to the incredible symphony.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">It was a crystalline moment.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Years ago, my husband, children, and I took a wonderful trip to Yellowstone. My favorite memory was at the end of a long hike. It was a hot day and we had come to a small waterfall and stream. We splashed cool water on our hot, sweaty faces. I remember experiencing that delicious sensation combined with the voices of my children and husband and I named that moment in time a crystalline moment - sharp, clear, almost achingly perfect. And like a crystal snowflake stands out for a moment in perfection, then melts away, so too do these standout, perfect moments in our lives.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FUolVaNZZUQ/TyMxX0IWycI/AAAAAAAABV4/zoGdglrNQ8c/s1600/sprecka.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5702455838381623746" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FUolVaNZZUQ/TyMxX0IWycI/AAAAAAAABV4/zoGdglrNQ8c/s320/sprecka.jpg" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">What a blessing they are.</span></div></div>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-40259022839604952192012-01-21T16:15:00.000-08:002012-01-21T16:42:58.054-08:00Meditation through speed drawing<div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sounds pretty contradictory, doesn't it? Yet it's true. I find that I am transported to a lovely state of meditation when I do these little warm up exercises.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ehvk38ObT8E/TxtZccyl3cI/AAAAAAAABVE/Lv6D-XSNEis/s1600/panda.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700248098667093442" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ehvk38ObT8E/TxtZccyl3cI/AAAAAAAABVE/Lv6D-XSNEis/s320/panda.jpg" /></a><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Want to try it? Here goes: <br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">4 Minute Charcoal Contour Sketches<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Materials:</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Vine Charcoal - snap off a small piece</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Any kind of sketch paper - could even be computer paper if that's all you have<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">1. Find a couple of stuffed animals (this MUST be fun, and what is more fun than stuffed animals?)</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />2. Put one of your animals into a pose that you like. Look at it - I mean REALLY look at it. Take a deep breath.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />3. Using your piece of charcoal begin recording the contours of your animal, spending most of the time looking at the animal, only looking at your paper to check way points. Use your finger to smudge shaded areas.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />You only have 4 minutes and you're drawing with charcoal so the pressure is off to produce anything magnificent. Just get lost in the edges of the animal. The more you practice this, the more you will loose yourself in the process.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kixLm5Et1HI/TxtZ4TMbRNI/AAAAAAAABVQ/iyn9CK1Qr4s/s1600/otto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700248577127433426" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kixLm5Et1HI/TxtZ4TMbRNI/AAAAAAAABVQ/iyn9CK1Qr4s/s320/otto.jpg" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Give it a try.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div> </div></div>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-38342086716829200992012-01-16T12:49:00.000-08:002012-01-16T13:24:11.561-08:00Finding the fun in the un-fun<div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rkiaCfJt4Hs/TxSTvquJMpI/AAAAAAAABUg/H-knWttM_KI/s1600/creatures.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 165px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698341875661484690" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rkiaCfJt4Hs/TxSTvquJMpI/AAAAAAAABUg/H-knWttM_KI/s320/creatures.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">I've been battling health issues which remain frustratingly present. Rather than spend day after day thinking about how uncomfortable I am and how I wish I would feel better, I decided to play around a little today. I figure I feel bad no matter what I do, so I may as well do something that takes my mind off my misery, at least for a little while.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;<br />"><br />I decided to take an online class called <a href="http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/online-class-imaginary-creatures-•-january-16-20/"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Imaginary Creatures</span></a>. The goals of this class are to loosen up, have a little fun with drawing and painting, and sneak in some sound art principles.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />These fun fellows showed up on my art table today as my first assignment.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XNwHzUxODqM/TxSUFxb-R9I/AAAAAAAABU4/4whbZDpWS1w/s1600/creatures3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 161px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698342255421442002" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XNwHzUxODqM/TxSUFxb-R9I/AAAAAAAABU4/4whbZDpWS1w/s320/creatures3.jpg" /></a> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">They make me smile.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Li8ZcVqmjEA/TxST7HeSEpI/AAAAAAAABUs/fPAd2pnMQ2w/s1600/creatures2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 125px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698342072358146706" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Li8ZcVqmjEA/TxST7HeSEpI/AAAAAAAABUs/fPAd2pnMQ2w/s320/creatures2.jpg" /></a> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Which I could use right now.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />I hope that your week goes well and that you can find the fun in wherever you might find yourself.</span></div></div></div>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-50136719291951520122012-01-05T06:54:00.000-08:002012-01-05T07:20:07.121-08:00What a difference a year makes<span style="font-family:verdana;">I don't know if this is evidence of global warming or just a normal seasonal blip, but look at the difference in scenes from the Centennial Trail:</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />December 31, 2010:</span><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WAoi7Ou_Vqs/TwW8qyygsMI/AAAAAAAABUE/zMm_RREjJxw/s1600/snow%2Btrail.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694164747254018242" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WAoi7Ou_Vqs/TwW8qyygsMI/AAAAAAAABUE/zMm_RREjJxw/s320/snow%2Btrail.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-geTtjMPgg84/TwW8VXcafSI/AAAAAAAABT4/GovWOGripYA/s1600/snow%2Btrail%2B6.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 190px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694164379136326946" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-geTtjMPgg84/TwW8VXcafSI/AAAAAAAABT4/GovWOGripYA/s320/snow%2Btrail%2B6.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">December 31, 2011:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O0E0eRodbHs/TwW7sjC8O4I/AAAAAAAABTg/IpUgmP9seHw/s1600/clear%2Btrail.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694163677876075394" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O0E0eRodbHs/TwW7sjC8O4I/AAAAAAAABTg/IpUgmP9seHw/s320/clear%2Btrail.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3048kAIlhuY/TwW8FhiW_RI/AAAAAAAABTs/yIPXpPZpAQI/s1600/clear%2Btrail2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694164106967710994" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3048kAIlhuY/TwW8FhiW_RI/AAAAAAAABTs/yIPXpPZpAQI/s320/clear%2Btrail2.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">I can't help but say that I'm really enjoying it!!</span><br /><p></p><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6__aMkOBJlg/TwW9AYJQC8I/AAAAAAAABUQ/_rFlr96o9gg/s1600/run.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694165118058761154" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6__aMkOBJlg/TwW9AYJQC8I/AAAAAAAABUQ/_rFlr96o9gg/s320/run.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">This week I've enjoyed my first week teaching two 10 week art classes and spending time back in my art studio - a great start to 2012.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">Enjoy the rest of your week.<br /></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-59023243561876053372011-12-21T16:30:00.000-08:002011-12-22T07:29:56.620-08:00The long and the short of it<div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Today is the first day of winter.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Which also means that it is the shortest day of the year.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Which also means that <em>EVERY DAY FROM TODAY ON WILL BE GETTING LONGER</em> - leading to my favorite time of year...<strong>SUMMER!</strong></span></div><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">But, in my determination to not wish my life away (<em>I wish it were summer now; I wish it were then, not now</em>), I will share my attempts to embrace the now, particularly my </span><a href="http://blog.kbcarpenter.com/2011/11/get-it-while-gettins-good.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#006600;">impossible mission</span> </span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">progress:</span></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IGwDJIpsG6w/TvNJLgR9LgI/AAAAAAAABTI/9DfddYki3_Q/s1600/running2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IGwDJIpsG6w/TvNJLgR9LgI/AAAAAAAABTI/9DfddYki3_Q/s320/running2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688971216291704322" /></a><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">4 mile run on the Centennial Trail - 12/16/11</span></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8evpjz49OCw/TvNJkrdzNnI/AAAAAAAABTU/KrC05WG_yJY/s1600/running.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8evpjz49OCw/TvNJkrdzNnI/AAAAAAAABTU/KrC05WG_yJY/s320/running.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688971648790902386" /></a><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">28 degrees - freezing fog</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">As we approach the end of the year I also want to take the time to thank you all so very much for following this blog. I truly appreciate your support and insights and look forward to spending more time together in 2012.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">On that note, I will be taking some time off to be with family, so look for a new blog post after the New Year.</span> </p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Merry Christmas</span></em></p><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NWrdvhKtBgU/TvNIvNA9ZnI/AAAAAAAABS8/aVByz37W18g/s1600/christmas%2Bgreeting.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 248px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688970730083804786" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NWrdvhKtBgU/TvNIvNA9ZnI/AAAAAAAABS8/aVByz37W18g/s320/christmas%2Bgreeting.jpg" /></a><br /><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:180%;">Have a blessed New Year</span></em></p><br /><p></p><br /><p><br /></p><div></div><div>,</div>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-64062375289373831642011-12-16T11:24:00.000-08:002011-12-16T13:24:15.474-08:00So self-centered<span style="font-family:verdana;">For once, I am thinking only of myself.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">You're probably thinking one of two things:</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>What?!!! This is NOT the season to be selfish, (at least not out loud). </em></span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>For once? Ha! (This is for those who know me well.)</em></span></li></ol><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">For the record, I am speaking artistically. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I have a mission to paint two pieces that are strictly for me. It could be said that I always paint for me. Except for commissioned work, my projects are self-determined. I paint whatever seems to be demanding to be painted. But the work is still somewhat outward focused, projects designed to go out into the world to find the people they were destined for.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Not these two pieces. These are for me. They sing to me and it is time.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">One project has been patiently waiting since the summer. I will paint my hawks. I want this painting to manifest the magic that I felt during the time these four magnificent fledglings perfected how to be hawks, with <em>me</em> <em>right there</em>. It was my "Summer of the Hawks". I'd like this painting will be a tribute and reminder.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fw_t8eKGfZ8/TuuxZI2sYsI/AAAAAAAABSM/wDtPXWC6Sz0/s1600/hawk4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 232px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686833999917114050" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fw_t8eKGfZ8/TuuxZI2sYsI/AAAAAAAABSM/wDtPXWC6Sz0/s320/hawk4.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8EY6HcVzPS0/TuuxtCuMDGI/AAAAAAAABSY/uMrELTHkJVo/s1600/hawk9.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686834341868211298" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8EY6HcVzPS0/TuuxtCuMDGI/AAAAAAAABSY/uMrELTHkJVo/s320/hawk9.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The other project is new yet strangely clamoring for immediate attention. It will be based on this photo:</span><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B6sYa-DPq6s/TuuwkEthLiI/AAAAAAAABSA/vc_-h9sWwpM/s1600/me3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686833088271822370" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B6sYa-DPq6s/TuuwkEthLiI/AAAAAAAABSA/vc_-h9sWwpM/s320/me3.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I've never felt the least desire to be part of one of my own paintings, but when my husband took this photo at Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, I was captivated by it. Usually I compose a painting, but my thought is that this one will be much like the photo, somewhat Andrew Wyeth inspired, if I'm so lucky. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I love that I am on a path that offers no hint about where it is leading, that I am alone, and that I am looking at something that the viewer cannot see - a visual metaphor for my life if I've ever seen one. Not that I am alone, of course. I have wonderful loved ones who have journeyed with me. But we each experience life uniquely, and therefore in some ways will always be alone. We cannot know where our paths will take us, and we each see the world in a way that others cannot.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I plan to share studies for these two projects with you. Studies are especially important for these projects for a couple of reasons. One, these two pieces seem to want to be BIG (at least that is what they are whispering to me, right now), and two, they are demanding to be painted on <a href="http://www.twinrocker.com/watercolor_papers.html"><span style="color:#6600cc;">TWINROCKER</span></a> watercolor paper!! <em><span style="font-size:85%;">(Maybe this is really me wanting to paint on this paper. It is so expensive. I have their website tabbed on my computer and I visit it periodically, my nose leaving prints on their virtual glass display window, with my grubby fingers holding my meager pennies in my hand, hoping for the day when I will be good enough to justify spending so much money on such an extravagance.)</span> </em>I will be completely freaked out when actually faced with a blank sheet of this paper, so smaller studies will be absolutely necessary.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k056DGyiaI4/TuuzZA8LmAI/AAAAAAAABSw/OALCWqQao3k/s1600/hawkdrawing.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 218px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686836196815902722" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k056DGyiaI4/TuuzZA8LmAI/AAAAAAAABSw/OALCWqQao3k/s320/hawkdrawing.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I'm telling you all of this to give you a preview of what I will be working on but also as a bit of accountability to the work, so that I won't be as likely to chicken out and work on something safer. Of course, since the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA"><span style="color:#6600cc;">creative muse who has been assigned to my case</span></a> is who she is, none of this may work out at all or I may end up with something totally different. Who knows?</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I just can't see that far ahead on the path.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-54310858902978645982011-12-12T07:23:00.000-08:002011-12-12T08:17:57.600-08:00Quality of the day: wonder<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2yodwL3niks/TuYlepYYmaI/AAAAAAAABRk/BPkNB5fBPjM/s1600/turn3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685272788036262306" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2yodwL3niks/TuYlepYYmaI/AAAAAAAABRk/BPkNB5fBPjM/s320/turn3.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>I woke with anticipation this December morning</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>my excitement and determination adequate weapons</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>against the ice and cold.</em></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em></em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>To see the birds of prey</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>fierce, not tame</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>demanding my respect.<br /></em></span></div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nhHVCiY3oz0/TuYj4Etl1RI/AAAAAAAABQo/8Qju5swn024/s1600/falcon.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 284px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685271025846441234" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nhHVCiY3oz0/TuYj4Etl1RI/AAAAAAAABQo/8Qju5swn024/s320/falcon.jpg" /></em></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kn4v7LSgI6Q/TuYkF3cPx7I/AAAAAAAABQ0/6_kZrqkvFeQ/s1600/owl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 221px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685271262802200498" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kn4v7LSgI6Q/TuYkF3cPx7I/AAAAAAAABQ0/6_kZrqkvFeQ/s320/owl.jpg" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>To see the elk</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>who decided to be elsewhere that day</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>but they are sovereign beings and I wouldn't have it any other way.</em></span></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-153n4Og-s4g/TuYkbyhshkI/AAAAAAAABRA/ATQOupvi510/s1600/me3.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685271639440000578" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-153n4Og-s4g/TuYkbyhshkI/AAAAAAAABRA/ATQOupvi510/s320/me3.jpg" /></em></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZUPRNoukDg/TuYl2ZilSmI/AAAAAAAABRw/pPloxu13VC8/s1600/turn2.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685273196100930146" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZUPRNoukDg/TuYl2ZilSmI/AAAAAAAABRw/pPloxu13VC8/s320/turn2.jpg" /></em></a><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>To see the land</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>not dead, but dormant</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>stunning in austerity.</em></span></div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qs9xPiSsLOg/TuYjj8-ZV0I/AAAAAAAABQc/0Lx229sHt0M/s1600/birch.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685270680172058434" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qs9xPiSsLOg/TuYjj8-ZV0I/AAAAAAAABQc/0Lx229sHt0M/s320/birch.jpg" /></em></a><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>To see the lights</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>an unexpected oasis of color and life</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>in a frozen world.</em></span></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M8iJCGoUyss/TuYk1Wni2KI/AAAAAAAABRM/kHMI87IaGvs/s1600/me2.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685272078624938146" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M8iJCGoUyss/TuYk1Wni2KI/AAAAAAAABRM/kHMI87IaGvs/s320/me2.jpg" /></em></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6PN-Rq87pv4/TuYlJq7kwAI/AAAAAAAABRY/xmnvVOIM1WA/s1600/me.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685272427675041794" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6PN-Rq87pv4/TuYlJq7kwAI/AAAAAAAABRY/xmnvVOIM1WA/s320/me.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">May your days be filled with wonder.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Turnbull Wildlife Refuge</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Manito Park<br /></span><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-57578126405491620262011-12-09T12:03:00.001-08:002011-12-09T13:00:23.183-08:00Reinventing the Wheel<span style="font-family:verdana;">The man thought he would explode if he listened to his wife and son's chatter a minute longer.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Why don't you two ride ahead?" he said. "I'm going to rest here a minute." He leaned his bike against the old mill stones that lined the trail and walked over to look at the river.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ox2J_g3dWE/TuJwxh_xKVI/AAAAAAAABP4/lZfX1uebdtw/s1600/millstone%2Band%2Bbikes.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 235px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684229675936721234" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ox2J_g3dWE/TuJwxh_xKVI/AAAAAAAABP4/lZfX1uebdtw/s320/millstone%2Band%2Bbikes.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">"You sure?" His wife saw him take a deep breath as he kept his face turned away. He didn't answer. "OK. We'll ride on ahead and then come back for you." She watched him for a minute, concern lining her face, and then turned with a bright smile to her son. "Let's race to the next mile marker," she challenged.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Ha! You'll regret that." He surged in front of her and she followed.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Oh, God. What am I going to do?" The man wiped his hand across his face and stared at the river. The voices of his family were replaced by the familiar memory of a shuffle of footsteps and the tap of a cane. "Dad, what do you think?" he asked softly.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">He could see his dad shake his head the way he always did when he thought his son was being particularly stupid about something. "About what? What's the problem?"</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"I was laid off. Twenty-five years of working for this company and I'm no longer needed. We got bought out; they closed the division. No more job." The man continued sightlessly watching the river. "Been looking for six months, can't even get an interview. They say I'm overqualified, but there don't seem to be any jobs at my previous level."</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">His shoulders sagged and he took a ragged breath. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. Wasn't this when it was supposed to get easier? It did for you and Mom. It did for most people my age. How is this right? How is this fair?"</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Fair?" He could hear his father's short, gruff laugh. "Life's not fair. I think the biggest disservice our generation did yours was to teach you that life was fair. Look at history. Was there ever really a time when people could expect fairness? Hell, look around you. Look at those old millstones you've got that fancy bike of yours leaning against. Cast aside, old technology. That bike of yours will be the same. Things change; people are always reinventing the wheel - life just rolls on. And it will roll right over you, grind you into the dust if you let it."</span><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o8c44JctcZ4/TuJxKNr0pmI/AAAAAAAABQE/nif6uRIcKwo/s1600/old%2Band%2Byoung%2Bman.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684230099981084258" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o8c44JctcZ4/TuJxKNr0pmI/AAAAAAAABQE/nif6uRIcKwo/s320/old%2Band%2Byoung%2Bman.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The man could see his father gaze off in the distance as he leaned on his cane. "You know, when I think back, I can honestly say that the best times were when your mom and I were struggling, barely making do. Later, when things got easier we got complacent, maybe sleepwalking a bit through the days. There's something to be said for having to stay sharp.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"There are lots of ways to die in life, but two stand out: being too afraid to take risks, and being too complacent to need to." The old man laughed. "Be thankful that at least now you don't have to worry about the being complacent part."</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"I'm tired, Dad."</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"I understand. Do you hear that? It's understandable. Life <em>isn't</em> fair. But you're going to be OK. You'll be more than OK. You're my son, aren't you? Now get rolling!"</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"I miss you, Dad."</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Pops, who are you talking to?" The man turned around to see his son and wife standing behind him. He hadn't heard them return. He smiled sheepishly. "Your granddad. I pretend he's still here sometimes when I really need him. It helps me to remember what he taught me."</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Dad, are we going to be OK?" his son asked.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The man's gaze moved over the old mill stones, his bike, and landed on his son. "Yeah. We'll be OK. We'll be more than OK. I'm your dad, aren't I? Now let's get rolling."</span><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bGp1y_GIuz8/TuJybNo4oQI/AAAAAAAABQQ/lPRY_lA-z0c/s1600/Reinventing%2Bthe%2BWheel.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 221px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684231491538166018" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bGp1y_GIuz8/TuJybNo4oQI/AAAAAAAABQQ/lPRY_lA-z0c/s320/Reinventing%2Bthe%2BWheel.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em> Reinventing the Wheel</em></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Watercolor - 9 1/2" x 13 3/4"</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Centennial Trail Series<br /></p></span>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6978072431734923203.post-4022957198524917642011-12-07T10:24:00.000-08:002011-12-07T12:56:19.098-08:00Fold, or all in?<div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Inspired by the <em>Centennial Trail Series</em> of paintings. Of course, it's about more than just running.</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em></em></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>I planned and prepared well<br />before I set out on the trail<br />but it is cold, so cold.<br />"Push through it", I tell myself. </em></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><div align="center"><em>I am alone<br />my footsteps, my breathing, and my chattering teeth<br />the only sounds I hear.<br />Voices of fellow travelers, small animals scurrying in the bushes,<br />snakes slithering across the trail<br />even my brother hawks -<br />all gone</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>part of a different season.<br /></em></span></div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ejWLCyrIB9o/Tt-znryuEJI/AAAAAAAABOw/J7py9hyDgHs/s1600/End%2Bof%2Ba%2BSeason%2B8.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683458749116584082" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ejWLCyrIB9o/Tt-znryuEJI/AAAAAAAABOw/J7py9hyDgHs/s320/End%2Bof%2Ba%2BSeason%2B8.jpg" /></a><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em></em></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>I want to fold, go home<br />my excuses easy to find, logical, full of common sense<br />full of something.<br />That's what makes it so hard; sometimes you have to fold<br />and wait for another hand to play<br />but how many times have I folded when I should have gone all in?</em></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em></em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>I see white trees standing out against the burnt sienna shoreline.</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>Nondescript in the earlier lush, green days of summer,</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>this cold, stark season brings out a beauty</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>that I recognize in myself.</em></span></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j2R1YyJizXQ/Tt-0JVRt_JI/AAAAAAAABPI/axZ4n2e1Lww/s1600/Standing%2BOut2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683459327188139154" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j2R1YyJizXQ/Tt-0JVRt_JI/AAAAAAAABPI/axZ4n2e1Lww/s320/Standing%2BOut2.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em></em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>It still hurts; still is so hard<br />and cold and lonely on the trail<br />but I'm feeling something else, an energy</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>warmth from inside brought about by movement</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>and sheer perseverance.</em></span></div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tRqg_mYpaao/Tt-z5Dgd9vI/AAAAAAAABO8/zNDrBcbw87Q/s1600/Perseverance3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683459047540258546" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tRqg_mYpaao/Tt-z5Dgd9vI/AAAAAAAABO8/zNDrBcbw87Q/s320/Perseverance3.jpg" /></a> <br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em></em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>It has to be this way<br />a level playing field of choice: all in or fold?<br />heartbreakingly easy to fold<br />because the return of going all in can be so great.</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>The trail is hard; every day the choice is new again<br />and you have to do it alone.<br /><br />Although as I continue<br />I see others on the trail.</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>No easy Sunday afternoon participants here </em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>they have already folded.<br />There is a depth of acknowledgement in the greetings we exchange,</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>because you can't get this far on a whim.</em></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><em></em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>The sun feels warm on my face<br />even though it is still icy cold in the world around me<br />it no longer cuts at my heart.<br />Energy flows through to my fingers.<br />I feel strong, alive.</em></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><br /><div align="center">Tomorrow I will face the same choice, </div><div align="center">and it will be just as hard as it was today</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>always a level playing field.<br />I might fold tomorrow - it has happened before</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>but today,</em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>today I went all in.</em></span></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;"></div></span></em><br /><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-79uH54UGSrU/Tt-0YPMuZkI/AAAAAAAABPU/zmu6vFRloSE/s1600/End%2Bof%2Ba%2BSeason%2B8.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683459583254619714" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-79uH54UGSrU/Tt-0YPMuZkI/AAAAAAAABPU/zmu6vFRloSE/s320/End%2Bof%2Ba%2BSeason%2B8.jpg" /></a><br /></p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74289911/end-of-a-season-limited-edition-giclee"><span style="color:#006600;">End of a Season</span></a></em> - Watercolor, 8" x 10 1/4"<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xphU4HoOSzk/Tt-0sP_xdaI/AAAAAAAABPg/-Wot2JtVGFo/s1600/Standing%2BOut.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 237px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683459927066113442" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xphU4HoOSzk/Tt-0sP_xdaI/AAAAAAAABPg/-Wot2JtVGFo/s320/Standing%2BOut.jpg" /></a><br /></p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74339713/standing-out-limited-edition-giclee?ref=v1_other_2"><span style="color:#006600;">Standing Out</span></a></em> - Watercolor, 10" x 13 1/2"<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X53cam8dP9s/Tt-05vtoZsI/AAAAAAAABPs/icEZ-61dQjk/s1600/Perseverance.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 251px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683460158918256322" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X53cam8dP9s/Tt-05vtoZsI/AAAAAAAABPs/icEZ-61dQjk/s320/Perseverance.jpg" /></a><br /></p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74618214/perseverance-limited-edition-giclee"><span style="color:#006600;">Perseverance</span></a></em> - Watercolor, 8" x 10 1/2"</span></p>K.B. Carpenterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902756921827555280noreply@blogger.com4